India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi as this year's chair, securing unanimous adoption of a declaration on West Asia even as members remained divided over Ukraine and Iran.

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• The 18th BRICS Summit was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026, under India's 2026 BRICS chairship with PM Narendra Modi presiding.
• The summit's theme was "Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth," reflecting India's four presidency priorities.
• Participating members included Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the UAE, alongside partner countries and invitees.
• Leaders unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration on the summit's first day, despite divisions among members over the wars in Ukraine and Iran.
• The declaration called for restraint and calm in West Asia and backed a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, while stopping short of condemning the US-Israeli strikes or Iran's targeting of Gulf states.
• Leaders also stressed the need to maintain smooth, unhindered global trade, supply chains and energy markets amid Western sanctions.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on September 11 for a three-day visit and held a roughly 45-minute bilateral meeting with PM Modi.
• India and Russia reaffirmed a target of raising bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030, up from nearly $70 billion in 2024-25.
• Putin used the summit to call for greater representation of Asia, Africa and Latin America on the UN Security Council, arguing the shift to a multipolar world was being resisted by established powers.
• On the summit's second day, PM Modi held separate bilateral meetings with leaders from seven countries, including Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima, on the sidelines of the open plenary session.